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CAR O-fL Y N WELLS 





Book -_ .^ Z : 
Copyright 1^° \^Q^ 

COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 




h/- CAR OLYN WELLS 



WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY 

MAY WILSON PRESTON 




HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS 

NEW YORK AND LONDON :: MCMIX 






Copyright, igog, by Hakpek & Brothers. 

AU rights reserved. 

Published April, igog. 



LIBRARY Of CONGRESS 


Two Copies Received 


APR 8 


1»0» 


CopyrlKOt Entry 
CLASS C\. XX6 No, 



The Rubaiydt of B RIDGE 












The Rulaiydt of B RIDGE 








Now the new Rubber rousing 
[new Desires, 

[ling Hearts aspires. 

=When the Red Hand of 

[Dummy is laid down, 

And even Hope of the Odd 

[Trick expires ! 










■n-o^uji^rv, %u^ U-r, 











The Rulaiydt of B RIDGE 






▼ ▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼ 


Ah, make the Most of what 
[We yet may Take, 

[let Them make 

=Trick after Trick! While 

[we throw down High Cards, 

Sans Lead, sans Score, sans 

[Honor, and sans Stake ! 









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(ju-x-^-inrvi saruLXC;^»^~— 5 c 



The Ruhaiyat of B RIDGE 


A Book of Bridge Rules un= 


[demeath the Bough, 




[of Cards, and Thou 


=With Two Good Players sit= 


[ting opposite. 


Oh, Wilderness were Paradise 


[enow ! 


^ 











The Rulaiydt of BrIDGE 








The Card no Question makes 
[of ayes or noes, 

[Player shows; 
=But he who Stands Beside 

[you, Looking On, 
He knows about it all ! He 
[Knows!! He Knows!!! 













r 



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'f^o^^~^^(^,^„,jc^^ 6 











The Ruhdiydt of BrIDGE 








I sometimes think there's never 
[such Tirade 

[has been badly Played. 

=When Some One thinks you 

[should have made no Trump, 

And you have thriftily declared 

[a Spade! 

















The Ruldiydt of B RIDGE 


' 




Myself, when Young, did ea= 






[gerly Frequent 












[Great Argument 






= About this Point and That. 






[Yet, after all, 






Came out no Better Player 






[than I went. 






9 













The Rulaiyat of BriDGE 








For I remember stopping by 

[the Way 

[Champions play. 

=They Differed on the Dis= 

[card, Make, and Lead. 

Whatever One Said, Said 

[The Others, " Nay !" 

















The Ruhdiydt of B RIDGE 




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▼ ▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼ 


Why, if a Soul can fling the 

[Rules aside, 

And let his Card=Sense be his 

[Only Guide, 

=Were't not a Shame, were't 

[not a Shame for him 

By Street and Elwell tamely 

[to abide? 

















The Rulaiydt of B RIDGE 








And if the Card you hope= 
[fully Finesse 

[ner Smiles ! Oh yes ! 

^And you smile Broadly! But, 

[if it be Caught 

By the Fourth Hand, — your 

[Smiles are somewhat Less ! 










rhuuA IXjjTvrYi y \iSLrn '^1. 



The Ruhdiydt of B RIDGE 



But if in Vain down on the 

[Stubborn Score 

You gaze; and make it No 

[Trumps, just once more, — 

=With Strength in Every Suit, 

[but with No Ace, — 

How then, — when Dummy 

[calmly Lays down Four! 











The Ruhaiyat of B RIDGE 








To Them the Heart Convention 
[did I show, 

[tried to make it go. 
==But this is all the Wisdom 

[that I reaped, 
"With more than Three Hearts, 
[always lead the Low!" 




' 













The Rubdiydt of B RIDGE 




iVifitttttiiMWitiiifCiiV 


▼ ▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼ 


For, Trump or No = Trump, 

[though with all the Rules, 

Of different Masters and of 

[different Schools, 

=rve played with Players of 

[all Sorts, but I 

Have never beaten anything, 

[but Fools ! 




* 





The Ruldiydt of B RIDGE 



Indeed, i 


ndeed to 


Quit It oft 
Before 


I swore, 


—but did 


I mean it 




when I swore? 


=And 1 


then, and 


then came 


[Three 


, and. Card 


s in Hand, 


I Joined 


them, and 


they made 




me keep 


the Score ! 




Q 





The Ruhaiyat of B RIDGE 



Alas, how Subtle Bridge al= 

[luring Woos ! 

And robs me of my Nightly 

[Beauty = Snooze. 

=1 often Wonder what Bridge 

[Players gain 

One = half so Precious as the 

[Sleep they Lose. 



c> 











Tke Ruhaiydt of B RIDGE 








Oh, Threats of Loss, and 
[Hopes of Golden Store, 

[tain, tis not Lore ! 
=One thing is Certain, and 

[the Rest IS Chance: 

'Ihe Hand that holds the 

[Cards will win the Score ! 

9 










"yv\o-^ (ju >i-«o^ ^A. 



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The Rulaiydt of BrIDGE 








Some for the Gain of Penny 
[Points, and Some 

[to come. 

=Oh, take the Prize and let 

[the Pennies go, 

Nor heed the winning of a 

[Paltry Sum. 

















The Rulaiydt of B RIDGE 








When You and I our Last 
[Bridge Game have played, 

[by Those whoVe Stayed, 

=Who of Our Coming and 

[Departure heed 

As the Heart Ace should heed 

[a little Spade. 

















The Ruldiydt of B RIDGE 








We are no other than a Mov= 

[ing Row 

[Come and Go. 

=Played to the Last Trump 

[by the Hand of Fate, 

By whom our Hearts are 

[Shuffled To and Fro. 









APR 8 1909 



